We are signed up for the Sicily Off Season tour in November which ends in Catania. I want to see Taormina and the summit of Mt Etna. Would you recommend staying put in Catania and day tripping, or relocating to Taormina?
(Also posted in RS Tours)
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7289 posts
It's been years since I visited either, but we did Taormina as a day trip from Catania. However it would have been nice to have more time there.
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
For sure Taormina. It may be alittle pricey but the ambiAnce and views are there. Depending upon where u stay wil determine where your car can be parked. It is car free. I was there last wk and loved it . We stayed however in G. Naxos.
catania is a big , gritty city. I would stay free of.
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
How many days do you have free after the tour? It's easy enough to go to Taormina as a day trip, but if you want to stay there overnight, that's a good plan too. Just be forwarded that it's a very pricy touristy place (but of course beautiful), whereas Catania is more local. They are very different in atmosphere - Catania is a large busy city, whereas Taormina is more like a tiny resort hanging to a side of a cliff.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
I didn't get to Catania, but Taormina is magic. Despite the daytime crowds and the high prices for accommodations, I felt it was worth every euro to stay there for 3 nights. I didn't find other food prices in Taormina higher than anywhere else; if you want to economize, there's a big supermarket right in the center.
If you want ALL the details of my 2014 Sicily visit, here's my trip report: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina
Posted by
Toledo, Ohio, US
11613 posts
I vote for a couple of nights in Taormina, three if you have time. You can stay in the old city or down on the beach. I like the old city.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7289 posts
I used to visit Catania frequently and it's gritty because of the ash from Mt Etna, so please don't confuse gritty with dirty, although for some it may be the same thing.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
Visited Taormina for four nights our first step on Italian soil, in October 2010, although Siciliani will tell you Sicily is not Italy!
Stayed at Hotel Villa Schuler, which was wonderful in that it was one street off the main drag (Corso Umberto), a slight downhill. Most streets in Taormina are steeper than that. The vistas to the Ionian Sea were spectacular.
Never saw Etna as there was a cloud cover, but had magnificent food at prices on a par with Florence or Rome.
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
We spent a week in Taormina and it was outstanding. We only drove around Catania, so I can't really comment. We stayed at a nice b&b called Villa Sara located above the town. Our room had a balcony, which provided beautiful views of the area and Mt. Etna during the day and absolutely stunning views at night.
We usually took day trips from Taormina and returned in the evening for dinner. We did take one road trip to a mountain top town, which is my last name. Very cool.
Buon viaggio,